The Three-North Shelterbelt Forest Program, or the Three North Project, has made significant advancements with the creation of 3.2 million hectares of green space that has effectively removed the expanding sand from residential places in some key areas, according to a news conference held on Tuesday regarding the construction of the modernization of harmony between people and nature.

This year marks the 45th anniversary of the Three North Project, an ambitious forestation project launched by China in the country's northwest, north and northeast, to combat the expanding desertification areas. Desertification on 34 million hectares has been improved during the last three decades, and 85 million hectares of degraded grasslands have been restored, according to Guan Zhou, director of the National Forestry and Grassland Administration and director of the National Park Administration.

Guan also pointed out that, on top of the current achievements, more attention should be given to sand control in three key areas involving 11 provinces and autonomous regions in northern China.

The Minister of Natural Resources, Wang Guanghua, stated that it is projected to complete more than two million hectares of ecological preservation and restoration land by the end of 2025. In addition, programs for marine biological protection and restoration will also be implemented, including the rehabilitation and restoration of 400 kilometers of coastline and 190,000 hectares of coastal wetlands.

In terms of national park construction, Guan stated, "The first batch of national park construction has achieved significant results." The Sanjiangyuan National Park has succeeded in protecting the headwaters of the Yangtze, Yellow, and Lancang rivers. At the moment, woodland and grass cover has reached more than 74 percent, and the Tibetan antelope population has returned to more than 70,000.

According to Guan, the country's national park blueprint comprises 49 candidate sites covering 10.3 percent of the land area and conserving more than 80 percent of the national protected wildlife species and their habitats.

The next focus will be on three tasks: promoting the implementation of the National Park Law, maintaining high-quality building of the existing national parks, and actively promoting the development of new national parks.